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How is the GNU Enterprise project coming along?

reed

This is one of those big, gaping holes in open source software. I swear most open source programmers don't even understand the question. Let me try:

Alice is an expert in some area of business. She can even wrap her head around simple databases. How can she write database apps without having to call Bob, the resident Unix hacker who doesn't want to waste his time coding simple data entry screens.

What tools can Alice use? Open Office is workable now, and although pretty clumsy, compares to the VB .net "way". Alice has to learn quite a lot to get there, though.

There's http://pythoncard.sourceforge.net/samples/custdb.h tmlPythonCard, which is looking very nice: Python is a very newbie friendly language. If you use this, then ReportLab (http://www.reportlab.org/) might be a good choice for reporting tools.

There's Rekall, I've not used it at all, although it looks pretty good.

And then there is GNU Enterprise http://gnue.org/. It is eventually supposed to be an ERP system, but currently the project team is working on what appears to be a very sweet set of db app development tools. Rumor is that it's at a usable point, but I've never been able to crawl through the install process (even on Debian).

There are more, but I haven't found any really good ones.

If we need database products, we need object oriented databases, heirarchical databases, things that are in relatively short supply, where what is out there is limited in usefulness, so ancient it won't compile, or too hideous to contemplate.

It's hard to create a decent object-oriented database when the word "object" isn't formally defined. "Object-oriented" is merely a programming model. Database management systems require a lot more rigor than that.

And although it might fall into the "too hideous to contemplate" category, you should check out gt.m as a heirarchical DBMS. It's available on sourceforge. It's a MUMPS implementation; for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a heirarchical database system and programming language all rolled into one. It is used in financial institutions and hospitals alike.

In fact, there is a freely-available medical records/hospital management system that is more robust and complete than commercial products costing millions of dollars: VistA, put out by the US Veterans Administration. It is available via the freedom of information act.

There is a project to get VistA running on gt.m: WorldVistA.

But, I think you miss the point of Rekall: it is the RAD tool for existing DBMSs to which you refer. It is quite nice, from all accounts.

Also, for an interesting project that is more industrial in nature, check out Gnu Enterprise, an Oracle-forms like environment that also makes use of existing database management systems.

There's a lot going on, a lot of it both useful and interesting.

There's the python-based, db-independent work done by Gnu Enterprise and its small business section Gnue Small Business. Applications and docs are at a very early stage, the RAD tools seem to work.

So while OSS continues to make great inroads in the OS space, for example (lots of interesting work there), it's hard to picture a loose collection of programmers building a serious contender to SAP or PeopleSoft's product set.

Actually GNUe is meant to do just that... now I dont know how you can compare it to SAP.. but I guess we'll see... checkem out at Their website

I'm not sure that a better solution wouldn't be to implement all of the checkbook functions in GnuCash in GnuE. It seems like a more flexible framework for doing this kind of stuff. Plus it provides an architecture that a user can move up the 'business ladder' to eventually become enterprise size.

Now, mind you, I'm not volunteering - I have enough free software work right now. And, I'm still happily using GnuCash - but I still think it's a good idea :)

I heard a rumor that the GnuCash and GnuE folks were talking about getting together at one point, but that never worked out... bummer.

http://www.compiere.org/

http://www.gnue.org/

Also check the Kernel Cousin for information:
http://kt.zork.net/GNUe/index.html

GNU Enterprise.

(one of the 3 listed overviews:)

A set of tools, such as a data-aware user forms interface, a reporting system and an application server, which provide a development framework for enterprise information technology professionals to write or customise data-aware applications and deploy them effectively across large or small organisations. The GNUe platform boasts an open architecture and easy maintenance. It gives users a modular system and freedom from being stuck with a single-source vendor. GNUe supports multi-language interfaces and non-ASCII character sets.

Looks like this could be the tool that eventually lets you build quick and easy applications on Linux, as Access does on Windows.

connecting OOo with PG via unixODBC was very, very simple. Yes, it involved editing a couple files -- /etc/odbc.ini and odbcinst.ini, but you have templates and you just need to edit them. Of course, you don't even need to edit config files anymore -- use ODBCConfig. It's all there, assuming you do a full RH8 install.

However, I wouldn't be so generous as to say OOo's database capabilities are as good as Access. You can merge print from your database -- that is quite easy. You can edit table structure and data -- OK, but I find phpPgAdmin works better for that. It even has form components and the ability to navigate a database with a form, but personally I haven't mastered this yet and feel it's a bit on the ugly side. Certainly there needs to be better documentation for forms and for the Basic code you may need to put in to automate forms. It also has a visual query designer -- OK.

Overall, OOo's database tools will be useful for some people but it has a ways to go. For forms, I think GNU Enterprise has quite a bit more potential.

Take note that MyCC is still alpha software, though, so crashes are to be expected. I'm glad that MySQL AB is working on this, a nice graphical client should really speed up the adoption of open source databases. Now an Access-style desktop database with a form designer would be nice -- the GNU Enterprise project is working on this. theKompany also has a proprietary product called Rekall. Any others?

Have you seen GNU Enterprise? It is aiming to fill that market segment. Granted, it's probably a couple years away from being a serious competitor, but it IS being used in some businesses TODAY.

I also believe the big ERP/CRM people will put out Linux clients at some point. A lot of businesses are dying to dump Microsoft. Oracle would certainly like to help them do that. SAP also has some Linux support on the server, so they're probably open to the idea. We'll just have to wait and see.

After all that, it's a decent inventory management/accounting package, perhaps some decent MRP/ERP functionality.

GNU Enterprise and NOLA are going to hopefully get there at some point in the future.

GNUe is porting NOLA to its platform, and should be pretty slick. (I've been working on that some, but not much recently..... need to get back to it!)

...like GNU Enterprise.

As people continue to see the light and increasingly prefer Free Software, and want to keep their data in a more open system, projects like this should skyrocket in use, and people that know them well should be more valuable.

This type of question is the type of thing the GNU Business Network hopes to help spolight more. You can a rough proposal of the GBN here. (i.e. Not what companies use Free Software, but what companies support Free Software.

For one thing, it's integrated with GNU Enterprise, which I think has potential to be big.

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Some one pointed out to me that the comment:
Unless you have no past or current unhappy employees, you're only one phone call away from being the target of a BSA investigation.

Is eeriely like Nazi propoganda telling you to turn in your neighbor and be fearful!

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Some one pointed out to me that the comment:
Unless you have no past or current unhappy employees, you're only one phone call away from being the target of a BSA investigation.

Is eeriely like Nazi propoganda telling you to turn in your neighbor and be fearful!

Not having a clear idea what HR-management software would do, but GNU Enterprise does enterprise thingies, so maybe it's what you're looking for?

Archie